Improvement in cultivators



a. w@ vAN slcKLE .& c. McuNAuGHY.

Cuftivafors. y

ivm-153,404. I Patntedvjuly'2b1874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lV. VAN SIOKLE AND CALVIN MCOONAUGHY, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATORS.

Specification forming fait of Letters Patent No. 153,404, dated July21,1874; application filed March 17, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE lV. VAN SICKLEand CALVIN McGoNAUGHY, of 'Burlington, in the county ot' Des Moines andState of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Oultivator; and that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, a-nd to the letters ot referencemarked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The invention consists in a cultivator provided with an anti-frietioncoupling for securing the beams to the axle, and also the combination,in a cultivator, of the frictioncouplin gs, beams, and arched axle.

In the accompanying sheet ot' drawings, Figure l is a side elevation ofour invention, and Fig. 2 a plan or top view of same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several gures.

A A represent the beams of a cultivator, to the under sides of which areaffixed the plows B B. These plows are secured to the beams by bolts attheir upper ends, and they are braced by curved braces O C extendingfrom the shank of the plows to the beam. Aftixed to the front end ofeach beam is a plate, D. Passing through the center of the plate D is apivotal bolt, a. The lower part of this bolt passes into and is securedto a shaft, E. Onto the shaft E are fitted two rollers, F F, in suchmanner that as said shaft E turns on the bolt a the rollers F F willfreely turn against the upper side of the plate D. Firmly bolted orotherwise secured to the axle G are two plates, H H, these plates,bearing upon the under side of the rollers F F. The axle G between theplates H H is bent upward in the shape of an inverted U. Aftixed to theupper side of this axe is the tongue I. This tongue is so attached as toreadily oscillate thereon. At or near the end of that part of the tongueI which extends back of the bent part of the axle, is affixed or secureda pulleywheel, l), and to the front end of the tongue or pole I isbolted an evener, J. Projecting below the under side ot" the evener, atits ends, are two projections, o. These projections are firmly securedto the evener by braces or otherwise. Pivoted or otherwise secured, so

as to turn freely on the lower ends ot' the projections c, are twoconnecting-rods, K, having hooks d on their lower ends, the upper endsof these rods being attached to a cord or chain, e, which passes aroundthe pulleywheel b. On the upper surface or top of the tongue I aresecured two line-holders,f, formguides for the reins.

Our cultivator being constructed substaneially as above described, itsoperation is as follows: Horses being attached to the end ot' the poleor tongue I, the cultivator is drawn over the surface of the ground inthe ordinary way, the beams A being allowed to freely ad` justthemselves to every change ot' direction without permitting the beams torock or the plows to vibrate, and the change of direction ofthe beams iseffected with the utmost ease, and no amount of use or wear can causethe beams to work loose at the point or joint which attaches them to theaxle, for the reason that the weight of the beams and strain is borne bythe friction-rollers F F, in the manner before described. The single-trees are hooked into the hooks d at the end of the connecting-rodsK, so that it' one horse of the team shall pull ahead of the other thepulley b will yield to the action of the cord e, preventing one plowfrom being pulled ahead ot' the other or out of line, and will alsoprevent the end ot' the tongue from being forced against the otherhorse. The construction ot the evener J, in connection with theprojecting-rods c and connecting-rods K, is of very great value, for thereason that as the team is pulling there is a downward draft in the rearof the axle, and an upward draft in front of it, keeping the tongue I atall times in a balanced position-the result being that all or nearly allthe weight is taken from the necks of the horses, and it is borne by theinverted-U support of the tongue. The braces O G are curvilinear inform, so that as sticks, reeds, and other material shall meet them, asthe cultivator progresses, they will not remainin front of the plows toobstruct their action, for, the braces being curved, no sharp angle isformed to act as a catch, but wha-tever refuse shall come in contactwith the curved braces will quickly be displaced therefrom, leaving theplows free from obstruction.

curing the beams to the axle, composed of the plates for embracing theaxle and the frictionrollers attached to the beams and working on saidplates, substantially as' shown and described.

2. In a cultivator, the combination of friction-couplings D F H, beamsA, and arched axle Gr, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GEORGE W. VANSIGKLE. CALVIN MCCONAUGHY. Vitnesses:

C. H. WILSON, WM. GARnn'r'r.

